Residency Fellows: The MixR©

The Midwest xR was an immersive networking event tailored for Midwest universities, focused on visualization and extended reality (xR) technologies in teaching and learning and immersive media workflows. This event offers a unique opportunity for visualization and xR professional staff to explore the latest trends, innovations, and opportunities in leveraging visualization and xR technologies across disciplines. Through engaging presentations, interactive workshops, and dynamic discussions, attendees will gain insights into applications such as cinematic VR, augmented reality-enhanced curricula, and immersive 180/360-degree storytelling.

Moreover, the event served as a platform for fostering collaboration among institutions, facilitating knowledge exchange, sharing best practices, and exploring joint initiatives to advance teaching and learning paradigms.

Participants

Indiana University

Research Technologies Visual & Data Labs (VDL)
Eric Wernert (remote)

Advanced Visualization Lab (AVL)
Scott Birch
Chris Eller
Shawn Slavin
Michael Saari
Mariam Lanthron

IU3D
Jeff Rogers
Matthew Brennan
David Kloster
Jordan Cleland

Other groups at IU
Katie Chapman, RT Research Data Services
Randy Newbrough, Instructional Technology Consulting Campus Center for Teaching and Learning
Jason Peercy, IUI Libraries Innovating Technologies Lab

Purdue University

George Takahashi, Lead Visualization Scientist, Envision Center

Ohio University

All participants are either faculty or staff in the McClure School of Emerging Communication Technologies at Ohio University and work for the Game Research and Immersive Design (GRID) Lab in the Scripps College of Communication. 

Doug Bowie – As a network and software engineer, Doug specializes in the virtualization of computing and network systems, configuring enterprise authentication systems, and applying technology to entrepreneurship opportunities. 

Jorge Castillo – Entering his thesis year in our MFA in Communication Media Arts, Jorge’s primary research interest is in photogrammetry to capture insect species for museum installations and community engagement with nature. 

Jordan Herron – Producer and post-production supervisor for OHIO 360 – a cinematic virtual reality production house within the GRID Lab. Jordan specializes in ambisonic audio production and 360-degree post-production.

Brandon Saunders – Brandon teaches internet engineering, specializing in identity management and single-sign-on infrastructures, as well as e-commerce software development, hosting, and IT services.  

Eric R. Williams -Eric is a professor of new media storytelling and 360-video, writing and directing cinematic VR stories for OHIO 360.  He specializes in using cine-VR for story-based law enforcement and healthcare training.

Chip Linscott – Director of the McClure School, Chip teaches VR theory, history, and criticism. At the GRID Lab, Chip oversees the audio production area, exploring the social implications of sound, image, and technology. 

Program Highlights

May 22, 2024 – Day 1 Introductions and Tech Demos

May 23, 2024 – Day 2 Discussions 

The discussion centers on the practical applications and technical preferences for Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) technologies, with a particular focus on educational and outreach contexts. Participants highlighted the importance of user-friendly setups, such as tablets, the Quest headset, and Adobe Aero, to engage diverse audiences, including children and older adults. These tools were noted for their accessibility and ease of use, making them suitable for public outreach events. 

Technical preferences in VR navigation methods were a key point of debate, with some favoring teleportation (point-and-click) and others preferring to walk (translation) around in VR environments. The choice of navigation method often depends on the context and audience, aiming to optimize user experience. The innovative use of VR for empathy building and system interaction was also discussed, showcasing the potential of VR to offer unique perspectives and immersive experiences. Examples included educational scenarios and therapeutic applications, demonstrating VR’s versatility.

Participants shared their first experiences with VR, ranging from early setups in the 1990s to more recent interactions with the Quest headset. These accounts highlighted the technology’s immersive nature, despite challenges like VR-induced nausea. The discussion also explored creative applications, such as using live-streamed third-person views for self-navigation, and the engaging, interactive format of the session itself, which encouraged sharing anecdotes and earning points for contributions. 

From a strategic and educational perspective, the discussion included diverse viewpoints, emphasizing the importance of strategic thinking and planning in education. Methods for distributing VR content, such as QR codes, URLs, and platforms like YouTube VR, were examined. Adhering to standards like OpenXR and WebXR was deemed crucial for ensuring compatibility across devices.

Accessibility in VR remains a significant challenge, particularly for vision-impaired and mobility-challenged individuals. Proposals to overcome these barriers included providing VR headsets to all students and developing alternative assignments for those unable to use VR technology. Encouraging faculty to integrate accessibility considerations from the outset of a project was also emphasized. 

Institutional strategy and resource allocation are critical for successfully implementing VR and XR technologies in educational settings. The need for strategic planning and equitable access to technology was underscored, with participants discussing the potential benefits of equipping students with VR headsets to enhance learning and engagement.

The conversation also delved into the intricacies of creating 360-degree video narratives, highlighting camera placement, scene design, editing techniques, audio cues, and managing complex scenes and actor challenges. Making content engaging and exploring the concept of replayability in training scenarios were key themes. 

A presentation on Jet Stream, a GPU-enabled cloud-based facility, showcased its benefits for computational tasks, collaborative workflows, and efficient rendering of high-end images. This highlighted the practical advantages of using cloud-based resources for intensive computational projects. 

The discussion compared 180 and 360 content creation, weighing the immersive nature of 360 content against the focused narrative potential of 180 content. Technical considerations, such as resolution and editing challenges, and the practical applications of both formats were explored. 

Advancements in AI voice technology were also covered, including the seamless integration of AI text-to-voice generators and their ethical implications. The potential for preserving voices of loved ones and using AI in educational XR applications was discussed, emphasizing the importance of evaluating the effectiveness of these tools in improving student learning outcomes. 

The session concluded with a call for continued collaboration and sharing of ideas to further develop and integrate XR technologies in education, underscoring the need for creative instructional design and strategic planning to ensure accessibility and equitable access.

Key Points and Takeaways

Outreach and Educational Events: 

1. VR/AR Solutions for Public Outreach: 

• Emphasis on user-friendly, simple setups like tablets, the Quest headset, and Adobe Aero to engage diverse audiences. 
• Necessity of catering to various audiences, including children and older adults, with accessible technology. 

Technical Preferences: 

2. Navigation Methods in VR: 

• Preferences vary between teleportation and walking around in VR environments. 
• The choice of navigation method should consider context and audience to optimize user experience. 

Empathy and System Interaction: 

3. Innovative VR Uses: 

• VR can be employed for empathy building and system interaction, offering users unique perspectives and immersive experiences. 
• Examples include educational scenarios and therapeutic applications. 

First VR Experiences: 

4. Initial Impressions: 

• Participants shared diverse first VR experiences, from early setups in the 1990s to recent Quest headset interactions. 
• Mixed experiences include positive impressions and challenges such as VR-induced nausea. 

Creative and Therapeutic Uses: 

5. Innovative Applications: 

• Discussed creative uses for empathy building and therapy, such as live-streamed third-person views for self-navigation. 

Interactive and Fun Atmosphere: 

6. Engagement: 

• The session was interactive, with participants sharing anecdotes and earning points for contributions, fostering an engaging learning environment. 

Strategic and Educational Aspects: 

7. Diverse Perspectives: 

• The discussion included strategic and educational perspectives, emphasizing strategic thinking and education. 

Content Distribution and Platform Agnosticism: 

8. Content Creation and Distribution: 

• Various methods for distributing VR content, such as QR codes, URLs, and platforms like YouTube VR. 
• Importance of adhering to standards like OpenXR and WebXR for compatibility across devices. 

Accessibility and Equitable Access: 

9. VR Accessibility Challenges: 

• Ensuring accessibility in VR for vision-impaired and mobility-challenged individuals is critical. 
• Proposals for equitable access, such as providing VR headsets to all students, were discussed. 

Faculty Awareness and Integration: 

10. Integration in Education: 

• Encouraging faculty to consider accessibility from the start and develop alternative assignments for students unable to use VR technology. 

Institutional Strategy and Resource Allocation: 

11. Strategic Planning: 

• The necessity of strategic planning and resource allocation to successfully implement VR and XR technologies in educational settings. 

VR Narrative Production: 

12. Creating 360-Degree Video Narratives: 

• Key elements include camera placement, scene design, editing techniques, use of audio cues, and managing complex scenes and actor challenges. 
• Emphasis on engaging content and interactive audience experiences. 

VR and Replayability: 

13. Replayability in Training: 

• The importance of making scenes engaging and the concept of replayability for training scenarios, allowing viewers to explore different perspectives. 

Jet Stream Presentation: 

14. Introduction to Jet Stream: 

• Overview of Jet Stream, a GPU-enabled cloud-based facility for computational tasks, collaborative workflows, and efficient rendering of high-end images. 

Comparison Between 180 and 360 Content: 

15. Content Creation and Technical Considerations: 

• Pros and cons of 180 versus 360 content in terms of immersion, narrative focus, resolution, and editing challenges. 
• Practical applications and challenges with 360 cameras were highlighted. 

AI Voice Technology: 

16. Advancements and Implications: 

• The seamless integration of AI text-to-voice generators and the ethical implications of AI-generated content were discussed. 
• Applications in preserving voices and educational XR integration were explored. 

Assessment and Effectiveness in Education: 

17. Evaluating XR Tools: 

• The importance of assessing the effectiveness of XR tools in education to improve student learning outcomes. 

Collaboration and Continued Development: 

18. Future Directions: 

• Encouragement for continued collaboration and sharing of ideas to develop XR applications and integrate them into education. 

In summary, the discussion emphasizes the practical applications, technical preferences, creative uses, and strategic planning necessary for integrating VR and AR technologies in education and outreach. Accessibility and equitable access, innovative content creation, and collaborative development were key themes, along with the potential and ethical considerations of emerging AI voice technologies.